How One Partnership is Revolutionizing Coaching Connections
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
04/11/22
•20m
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In this S1E9 interview, join renowned education coaches Toni Cameron and Renee McShane as they share game-changing strategies from their Coaching Learning Community (CLC) that's supporting teachers nationwide. Discover how effective teacher coaching can revolutionize classroom management, student engagement, and education transformation.
What You'll Learn:
✅ Why most instructional coaching fails (and how to fix it)
✅ The power of listening over talking in teacher support
✅ How video analysis transforms coaching strategies
✅ Building authentic mentor teachers relationships
✅ Creating sustainable professional development that works
✅ The "Coaching the Coach" model for new teachers
Perfect for: teachers, education coaches, school administrators, instructional leaders, teacher mentors, school counselors, and anyone passionate about inspired teaching and teacher impact.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction & Guest Backgrounds
1:37 Inspiring Educators: Personal Stories
3:18 The Coaching Isolation Problem
4:22 Origins of the Coaching Learning Community
6:26 CLC as a Lifeline During COVID
8:16 The Power of Video Analysis in Coaching
10:19 Understanding Your Values as a Coach
11:50 Listening Stumbling blocks for Coaches
15:54 Real-World Impact: Sweet Home School District
17:26 The "Coaching the Coach" Model
19:23 Grounding Work in What's Best for Children
Episode Mentions:
Toni’s Most Recent Published Writing:
- Cameron, Antonia. (2020). Early Childhood Math Routines: Empowering Young Minds to Think. Stenhouse Publishers.
- Cameron, Antonia and Lucy West. (2013). Agents of Change: How Content Coaching Transforms Teaching and Learning. Heinemann.
Other Resources:
#TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #EducationTransformation #TeacherSupport #CoachingStrategies #MentorTeachers #SchoolLeadership #EducationCoaches #InspiredTeaching #TeacherImpact #EmpoweredEducators #StudentSuccess #WholeChild #EffectiveTeaching #TeachingTips #NewTeachers #InstructionalLeaders #SchoolImprovement #EducationStrategies
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When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Previous Episode
Why This Teacher Starts EVERY Day with Play (And You Should Too!)
April 4, 2022
•18m
In this S1E8 interview, teacher Mary Anne Camel reveals how starting each school day with 75 minutes of intentional play revolutionizes classroom management, student engagement, and builds independence in young learners. With over 20 years of teaching experience, Mary Anne shares proven behavior strategies that turn morning transitions from chaotic to joyful.
What You'll Learn:
✅ How play-based mornings eliminate disruptive students and behavior challenges
✅ Effective teaching strategies for managing students through structured choice
✅ Classroom control techniques that build student motivation naturally
✅ Innovative teaching approaches for active learning and student participation
✅ Instructional strategies that work for difficult students and low engagement
✅ Teacher coaching insights for inspiring students and maintaining attention in class
✅ Inclusive teaching methods that support the whole child approach
Perfect for: teachers, education coaches, school administrators, parents, homeschoolers, teacher mentors, instructional leaders, new teachers seeking professional development, and anyone interested in education transformation.
Mary Anne's pro-kid mindset and culturally responsive teaching create thriving students through empowered educators. Discover how this approach builds home-school connection and supports family partnerships while maintaining effective classroom behavior management.
Episode Mentions:
Olivia’s Article Highlighting Mary Anne’s Work Around Play:
- Wahl, Olivia. (2018). Why Every Kindergarten and First-Grade School Day Should Begin with Inquiry and Imaginative Play. Heinemann, Online.
Video Clips
- “Creating Citizens for the World — Early Educators Speak Out”
- “The Work of Play”
- “The End of Play: Why Kids Need Unstructured Time”
- “The High Quality Early Learning Project”
- “MIT Brain Study: Back-and-Forth Talk Key to Developing Kids’ Verbal Skills”
- “Kindergarten in the Wild”
- “Welcome to the School Where Kids Have Recess 4 Times a Day”
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction: Meet Mary Anne Camel
00:27 - The Power of Play in Early Education
01:21 - Learning from Mom: The First Teacher
02:17 - Why Every Day Should Start with Play
03:24 - Morning Routine: Setting Up for Success
04:33 - How Students Choose Their Play Areas
05:22 - Exploring Classroom Play Centers
07:08 - Teaching Independence Through Clear Expectations
09:07 - Using Questions to Spark Curiosity in Block Play
10:31 - Managing Snack Time During Play
12:03 - Coaching Children Without Solving Problems
13:10 - Navigating Conflicts: When Kids Want the Same Area
14:29 - The 75-Minute Play Block: Making Time Work
15:28 - Community Cleanup: Building Responsibility
17:16 - Long-term Impact: From Kindergarten to Fourth Grade
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Next Episode
Why “We-Do” Writing Is Key to Independence
April 18, 2022
•21m
In this S1E10 interview, Leah Mermelstein reveals the revolutionary "We-Do" Writing method that's helping teachers nationwide solve two critical problems: shaky student independence and competing literacy theories.
In this expert interview, discover:
✅ Why traditional gradual release isn't working for writing instruction
✅ The 3 essential instructional strands every writer needs
✅ How 10-minute collaborative sessions transform student engagement
✅ Practical strategies for effective teaching that connect reading and writing
✅ Teaching tips that support both new teachers and veteran educators
✅ How to build student motivation through structured collaboration
Episode Mentions:
Leah’s Published Writing:
- Mermelstein, Leah. (2005). Reading/Writing Connections in the K-2 Classroom: Find the Clarity and Then Blur the Lines. Allyn & Bacon.
- Mermelstein, Leah. (2007). Don't Forget to Share: The Crucial Last Step in the Writing Workshop. Heinemann.
- Mermelstein, Leah. (2013). Self-Directed Writers: The Third Essential Element in the Writing Workshop. Heinemann.
- Mermelstein, Leah. (2021).“We-Do” Writing: Maximizing Practice to Develop Independent Writers. Benchmark Education.
- Mermelstein, Leah. (2021). 6 Qualities of a Strong Writing Curriculum. Benchmark Education.
- Mermelstein, Leah. (2021). Aligning Reading and Writing Instruction in Kindergarten-2nd Grade. Learning Without Tears.
Perfect for teachers, education coaches, instructional leaders, and anyone passionate about student success. Leah's research-backed approach creates thriving students while making teaching more manageable.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Leah Mermelstein
00:46 Leah's Teaching Background & Expertise
03:13 Inspiration from Professor Pearson's Gradual Release Model
05:33 Flipping Traditional Teaching Approaches
07:18 What is "We-Do" Writing?
08:19 The 3 Essential Instructional Strands
10:23 Interactive Writing Sessions Explained
11:30 Connecting Phonics to Writing Practice
12:31 Write Aloud: Building Language Composition
14:11 Writing Process: Bringing It All Together
15:08 Flexible Support Levels for Different Needs
16:05 Research Foundation: Reading Science Meets Writing
17:03 Making Time: The 10-Minute Solution
18:14 Real-World Application in Schools
20:09 Creating Comprehensive Writing Curriculum
21:22 Final Thoughts & Resources
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
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